The Texas Education Agency has recognized seven Austin ISD schools as high-performance or high-progress Title I schools for 2014-15. Title I schools are campuses where at least 40 percent of students are from low-income households.

“We are proud of our school communities for ensuring all students have the support they need to reach their fullest potential. Their success reflects the hard work and commitment of principals, teachers, students, families and community members,” Superintendent Dr. Paul Cruz said.

Four AISD schools, Blackshear, Graham, Hart and Reilly, were recognized as both high-performing and high-progress.

A high-performing reward school is identified as a Title I school with distinctions based on reading and math performance. A high-progress reward school is identified as a Title I school in the top 25 percent in annual improvement and/or in the top 25 percent of schools demonstrating the ability to close performance gaps.

“While we talk of the need to close the education achievement gap, the real work in accomplishing that goal is already taking place on these campuses,” Michael Williams, education commissioner, said. “Whether identified as high-performing, high-progress or both, we should be proud of what’s taking place at these schools and what it means for the future of Texas.”

The TEA spotlighted Blackshear and 10 campuses across the state as part of a best practices case studies project this year. The TEA project highlights how each campus excels in critical areas such as academic performance, teacher quality, school climate and leadership effectiveness.

To learn more, please see the TEA press release. The complete list of 2014-15 high-progress and high-performing schools is available on the TEA website.